The 30 Best Food Documentaries That You Can Watch Right Now

People love food. People love to watch movies. Why not combine these two passions with a good food documentary?

Driven mostly by independent filmmakers, this genre has grown significantly alongside the increasing interest in how we eat and how our food is produced. It’s also become an area of the film world where you can count on some good controversy, since many documentaries focus on exposing some of the shortcomings of the American food system.

That said, it’s not all heavy stuff—there are also portraits of a hospitality industry kingpin, a fly-on-the-wall film about one of the food world’s most difficult tests, and behind-the-scenes looks into what happens in the kitchens of world-class chefs.

Here, we break more than 30 of the best food documentaries, all of which are available right now on Netflix or iTunes. Grab some gourmet popcorn, crack open a craft beer, and fire one up tonight.

Hometown Hero: The Legend of New York's Chopped Cheese (2016)

Video via First We Feast

Good for: Getting to know New York City through its most enigmatic icon

Why you should watch it: To understand the real New York, you've got to understand the city's hyper-regional bodega specialty, the chopped cheese. The sandwich gets its name from the "chopping" of hamburger patties, which primarily occurs on the griddles in delis throughout Queens, the Bronx, and Harlem.

But when First We Feast began to peel back the layers and ask questions about its origin story—how it became so popular, and why it's so difficult to find one in lower Manhattan—we were introduced to a much deeper tale fueled by borough rivalries, hip-hop mythology, and hard-to-swallow truths, giving us a more meaningful glimpse into what makes this city tick. Watch the movie here.

COWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret (2014)

Image via YouTube

Good for: On-the-fence vegans

Why you should watch it: If you needed a push to adopt an all-vegetable diet, this film is your moral impetus. Cowspiracy (produced by Leonardo DiCapario, no less) explores the claim that animal agriculture is the number one threat to the environment—even more so than fossil fuels. Director Kip Anderson probes the meat industry’s ties to the government, attempting to find out why leading environmental organizations like Greenpeace keep quiet and still about the impacts of Big Farms. Watch the movie here.

More Than Honey (2012)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Folks who are fascinated with the complex network of bees and honey production

Why you should watch it: The bees are disappearing, and if they go, so do we. That sense of doom is echoed in Markus Imhoof's More than Honey, which delves into the mystery of dwindling bee populations worldwide and how their decimation affects the world food supply. At the heart of the bees' problem is a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, which Imhoof connects to the agribusiness of honey production. Even as the doc grapples with the bees' chance of survival, the stunning cinematography from Jörg Jeshel—masterfully sweeping over mountains and peering into beehives—brings the bee plight to the screen, and into the hearts of viewers. Watch the movie here.

Chef's Table (2015, 2016)

Why you should watch it: Netflix's new documentary series gives viewers an insider's look behind the kitchen doors of some of the world's top chefs. Sure, this premise similarly mirrors the concepts of several other documentaries on this list, but Chef's Table—lead by Jiro Dreams of Sushi director, David Gelb—profiles contemporary icons like Magnus Nilsson and Dan Barber with an eye towards cinematography. It's worth the weekend binge-watch for anyone who wants to know the major players steering food culture. With trips to the Amazon jungle lead by Brazilian chef Alex Atala in season two, Gelb is proving his doc-series to be one for the ages. Watch the series here.

A Matter Of Taste (2011)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Fine-dining obsessives

Why you should watch it: The film tells the story of Paul Liebrandt, who as a young chef was both heavily praised for his talent and critiqued for his dishes falling short of expectation. Spoiler alert: He became the chef of what is now the two Michelin star restaurant Corton. This documentary takes a closer look at what it takes to be a successful haute chef. Watch the movie here.

Danny Meyer: The Restaurateur (2010)

Image via YouTube

Good for: People interested in the business side of the restaurant world

Why you should watch it: Besides founding the insanely popular burger chain Shake Shake, Meyer is also the head of one of the world’s most powerful restaurant empires in Union Square Hospitality Group, which previously gave rise to fine-dining trailblazers like Eleven Madison Park and Tabla. This film follows Meyer during the construction of these two restaurants, providing insight into what makes one of the most powerful men in the hospitality industry click. Watch the movie here.

Food, Inc. (2008)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Your friend who dismisses farm-to-table eating

Why you should watch it: This documentary addresses the issue of corporate farming in America—and as you'll find out, it's a very big problem to tackle. There are three acts, tackling industrial meat production, large-scale production of vegetables and grains, and the ways in which economic and legal power is wielded in this country to product big business. Watch the movie here.

Soul Food Junkies (2013)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Soul-food completists

Why you should watch it: Filmmaker Byron Hurt grew up in a small, rural Georgia town, eating his mother's beloved soul-food cuisine. Although the collard greens, deep-fried chicken, and mac and cheese were delicious, Hurt saw how a diet based in salt and fat can cause long-term negative effects, as he documents how his father died of pancreatic cancer, brought on by his diet. Hurt spends the film positioning the cultural implications of African-American soul-food against its healthfulness and discovers what a new generation of chefs, raised on the food, can bring to making it a positive force on the communities who survive on it. Watch the movie here.

Sushi: The Global Catch (2012)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Sushi fiends and people interested in world food markets

Why you should watch it: Global sushi demand has exploded in recent years, thanks to emerging markets and the insatiable appetites of consumers in developed countries. The main fish used in that sushi: Pacific bluefin tuna, which can fetch $100,000 or more at auction. Sushi: The Global Catch looks from the conservationist’s point of view at how the tuna has been overfished in recent years. It argues that current consuming trends are unsustainable and that sushi industry is ripe for a transformative overhaul to save entire ecosystems.Watch the movie here.

Candyman (2010)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Children of the '80s

Why you should watch it: David Klein invented the Jelly Belly—and no one knows his name. Watch his story and find out why he claims that Jelly Belly ruined his life. Watch the movie here.

Bite Size (2014)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Anyone interested in America's child-obesity problem

Why should you watch it: While the problem of childhood obesity is known, many people only encounter it through non-salient statistics and figures. Corbin Billings' 2014 documentary Bite Size helps put a face to the epidemic by following four overweight American kids as they struggle to lose weight and focus on healthier eating habits. Watch the movie here.

Farmageddon (2011)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Fans of suspense/drama

Why you should watch it: The film focuses on the struggle of small local farms that are forced to cease operation by the government. The New York Times called it "part consumer-rights advocacy, part abuse-of-power exposé." Watch the movie here.

Somm (2013)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Budding wine aficionados

Why you should watch it: The Court of Master Sommeliers is the organization that mandates the standards and practices all professional sommeliers recognize. Its top title, Master Sommelier, requires a notoriously rigorous process to achieve, with less than 200 people receiving the distinction in its 40-plus-year existence. Somm looks at how four people train for the title, giving viewers an inside look at not only the test, but also the organization that determines the world’s foremost experts on wine. Watch the movie here.

Fat Head (2009)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Anyone who saw Super Size Me and wants more

Why you should watch it: Comedian Tom Naughton's response to Super Size Me shows that he was actually able to lose weight on a fast-food diet. Watch both documentaries to draw your own conclusions. Watch the movie here.

Ken Burns: Prohibition (2011)

Image via Netflix

Good for: People who want to extend their knowledge of Prohibition past Boardwalk Empire

Why you should watch it: Who better to dive into the messy former American law that banned the sale, manufacturing, and distributing of booze than legendary documentary director Ken Burns? The five-hour-long series originally ran on PBS in 2011 and details how the U.S.’s cultural backbone—from colonial times, to the immigration wave of the 19th and 20th centuries—doomed the 18th Amendment from the start. To add to the gravitas, actors like Sam Watterson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Tom Hanks lend their voices. Watch the movie here.

Beer Wars (2009)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Beer geeks

Why you should watch it: A close look at the challenges faced by independent beer brewers trying to compete with the big boys, like Miller, Coors, and Anheuser-Busch. If you want to know why craft beer has such a strained relationship with macro-brewing, this movie will open your eyes to the ways that corporations attempt to rig the game to push out the little guy. Watch the movie here.

A Place At The Table (2012)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Anyone concerned with large social problems facing America today.

Why you should watch it: Among the many social problems currently afflicting the United States, food insecurity among the country's poorest residents is close to the top of the list. This 2012 documentary shines a light on several subjects who face inadequate dietary resources on a daily basis, including a police officer whose paycheck is so paltry he has to rely on a food bank to eat. A Place At The Table provides a reality check that proper nutrition is still unattainable for many. Watch the movie here.

Vegucated (2011)

Image via YouTube

Good for: People who are considering going vegan

Why you should watch it: Here’s the premise: three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers ditch animal-based foods for the alleged health benefits of veganism. They have six weeks to see if the lifestyle is right for them, while also determining if veganism is something our processed food-engorged nation should take more seriously. Watch the movie here.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Japanophiles and sushi lovers

Why you should watch it: Numerous celeb-chefs have claimed to have eaten the best sushi of their life at Jiro Ono's 3 Michelin star restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro, a tiny sushi counter located in a Tokyo subway station. This documentary tells the story of Ono and his two sons who have been attempting to follow in the footsteps of their sushi-master father. It's a testament to the power of extreme discipline, as well as a cautionary tale about the way relationships can be strained by a single-minded quest for perfection. Watch the movie here.

Forks Over Knives (2011)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Carnivores

Why you should watch it: This film is heavy on the science and takes a strong anti-animal product stance on eating. You have been forewarned. Still, check it out for an interesting look at how what we eat affects the rise in incidences of coronary disease, diabetes, obesity, and other diseases. Watch the movie here.

The Search For General Tso (2014)

Image via YouTube

Good for: People who are curious about how Americanized Chinese food is made

Why you should watch it: This 2014 film details how one of Americanized Chinese food's most famous dishes, General Tso's chicken, became such an omnipresent item...even though its roots to Chinese culture are unknown. The Search for General Tso digs into Chinese and American history to find out not only who General Tso was in real life but also how this dish became a staple at restaurants nationwide. Watch the movie here.

Three Stars (2010)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Anyone looking to find out exactly what goes into a Michelin rating

Why you should watch it: Journalist and filmmaker Lutz Hachmeister steps inside the kitchens of nine chefs—including Noma's René Redziepi and Del Pescatore’s Nadia Santini—that have received the coveted three-star Michelin rating. The 90-minute film ditches in-depth portraits for a broader look about how the storied restaurant guide works. Watch the movie here.

Pressure Cooker (2008)

Image via Amazon

Good for: Fans of Top Chef and MTV"s MADE

Why you should watch it: The film focuses on the stories of three inner-city high school seniors enrolled in a culinary arts class while trying to sort out their impending futures post-graduation. The pressure is on when they enter a cooking competition to win scholarships to top culinary programs. Watch the movie here

King Corn (2007)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Anyone who eats corn-based products

Why you should watch it: Two friends from college move to Iowa to grow America's most versatile crop (corn) and make a movie about it. As they chart their journey, they dig into big issues like government subsidies for agriculture and the nation's addiction to high-fructose corn syrup. Watch the movie here.

Super Size Me (2004)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Your friend who only eats fast food

Why you should watch it: If you missed Morgan Spurlock's documentary when it first came out, be sure it check it out now. Spurlock filmed his experience of eating nothing but McDonald's three times a day for an entire month. As you can probably predict, the results weren't great. He tracks his mood swing and physical health, and checks in with other Americans who subsist largely on soda and burgers. Watch the movie here.

Kings of Pastry (2009)

Image via YouTube

Good for: People who always order dessert

Why you should watch it: Follow Jacquy Pfeiffer, founder of the French Pastry School in Chicago, as he travels to France to compete against 15 other top pastry chefs in the Meilleur Ouvrier de France competition. This is dessert at its most extreme, and you'll be amazed by the tension that can build around whether or not a towering cake will collapse. Watch the movie here.

Dive! (2010)

Image via Amazon

Good for: Anyone looking for a way to save money on food

Why you should watch it: If you've ever been intrigued by the notion of dumpster diving (literally sifting through trash for edibles), this is is the flick for you. A lot of perfectly edible food goes to waste when stores throw it out (think unsold bread at the end of the day and produce just past its expiration date). The director of this film hopes to convince you that while diving into your local dumpster is a viable source of food, the real problem resides in the country's attitude towards waste. Watch the movie here.

Ingredients: The Local Food Movement Takes Root (2009)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Locavores

Why you should watch it: You'll find thought leaders of the locavore movement like Alice Waters and Peter Hoffman dropping knowledge in this film illuminating the dangers of America's industrialized food system. Watch the movie here.

Food Beware (2009)

Image via YouTube

Good for: Foreign film lovers and proponents of the organic food movement

Why you should watch it: Is organic produce better for you? To search for an answer, this documentary profiles the Barjac village in France, where the local school is mandated to serve an all-organic menu. Watch the movie here.

Hungry For Change (2012)

Image via YouTube

Good for: People still trying to their New Year's weight-loss resolution

Why you should watch it: This documentary claims to reveal the secrets kept from you by the weight-loss and diet industries. These secrets are mostly things that you've heard many times before, but will serve as fresh inspiration if you need it. Watch the movie here.

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